Following one year after Joe and Anthony Russo's The Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel Studios' upcoming The Avengers 4 is different from every other upcoming project in the franchise in one specific way: it's the only one without a title. While the project was originally called The Avengers: Infinity War Part 2, that name was taken away last year when it was revealed that it wasn't really an accurate description of the blockbuster. We've since been left with the mystery of what the film will be called, but there's a very simple explanation as to why it hasn't been revealed yet. According to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, it's because the name itself is a spoiler for what comes before it.
I learned this interesting nugget when I had the chance to sit down with Kevin Feige last week during the Los Angeles press day for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Speaking about the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I brought up a conversation I had with Joe and Anthony Russo about the title of Avengers 4 last year, and putting two and two together, I followed up with Feige by asking if the name is a spoiler for the events of The Avengers: Infinity War. You can read his confirmation below:
Me: When I talked with Joe and Anthony Russo last year, I guess a couple months ago, they mentioned... we [the public] don't know the name of Avengers 4, that they're not going to announce it, it's going to be a minute. I'm curious if the reason for that is because it's a spoiler.Kevin Feige: Yeah, for sure.
It's an interesting situation, if not just because having future projects serving as spoilers has been a problem for the Marvel Cinematic Universe from just about the beginning. For example, because Captain America 2 was announced before anyone got to see The Avengers back in 2012, audiences knew going in that the star-spangled hero would find a way to survive the events of the blockbuster. With Avengers 4, however, they are committing to absolutely nothing, and in doing so are providing us with no extra information about what to expect from the end of The Avengers: Infinity War.
Of course, there is still the Thanos questioning lingering in the air as well. It's been said many times that all of the Marvel Studios movies have been leading to a showdown with the Mad Titan in The Avengers: Infinity War, but ever since Avengers 4 changed its "Part 2" name there has been uncertainty about whether or not Thanos will be in the follow-up film. I directly asked Kevin Feige about this, and he remained tight-lipped, telling me
Me: Will Thanos be in both movies? Or is his story complete by the end of Infinity War?Kevin Feige: They're two very different movies. That's all I'll say.
The Avengers: Infinity War is currently in production down in Atlanta, Georgia, and then principal photography on The Avengers 4 is expected to pick up right after -- with the same writers and directors, and presumably with most of the same cast (but who really knows at this point). We'll not only have more updates about the project for you when they are announced, but also be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for a whole lot more from my interview with Kevin Feige!
